Portrait
Camille, age 6
A gold 24 in (60 cm) neon a Paris dad gave his daughter for her birthday.
Exclusive service · Photo → LED neon
Custom photo neon sign: your portrait, pet or logo in LED
From photo to LED neon in 10 to 14 days. Our studio turns your portrait, your pet or your hand-drawn logo into a one-of-a-kind luminous artwork. Free digital mock-up before production.
- 3D mock-up within 24 hrs
- Delivered in 10 to 14 days
- 3-year warranty
Photo → LED neon in 10 to 14 days
Client project · 2026Custom portrait
10-14daysPhoto to neon lead time
24hrs3D mock-up
3yearsWarranty included
500+Neon signs delivered
The Helioneon process
How Helioneon turns a photo into an LED neon sign
Our studio handles every step, from analyzing your file to the final rendering. You approve each stage before production starts, so no bad surprises. For a wider look at all the options, explore our custom neon sign offer.
01
You send your photo
Drop your file (JPG, PNG, HEIC) into our secure form. No account needed, just your email.
02
Our designer traces the outline
Within 24 hours, our team turns your photo into a single-line vector path, ready to become an LED silicone tube.
03
You approve the digital rendering
You receive the 3D mock-up with colors and dimensions. You request the changes you want, then you approve.
04
Made and delivered in 10 to 14 days
Our workshop crafts your neon by hand, tests it for 48 hours straight, and ships it with its mounting kit.
They chose Helioneon
Which types of photos really work as a neon
Not every photo converts to an LED tube the same way. Here is our honest feasibility grid, so you know what to expect before you even send your file. If you are unsure about the format, you can also customize your neon sign starting from text or a photo plus lettering combination.
Excellent
Simple portrait
Clear face, plain background
- Lead time10 to 14 days
- Price$235 to $350
- UseBirthday gift, wedding
Very good
Couple or family photo
2 to 3 people
- Lead time10 to 14 days
- Price$295 to $470
- UseFather's Day, living room
Excellent
Pet
Dog, cat, small pets
- Lead time10 to 14 days
- Price$235 to $390
- UseKeepsake, kids' decor
Excellent
Hand-drawn logo
Sketch, custom lettering
- Lead time10 to 14 days
- Price$210 to $350
- UseStore, workshop, studio
Limited
Landscape or complex scene
Simplification required
- Lead time10 to 14 days
- Price$530 and up
- UseExceptional gift
Low
Low-resolution photo
Under 800 px
- Lead time10 to 14 days
- PriceCustom quote
- UseOld photo, album scan
Lead times shown exclude client approval time. Indicative prices excluding options (dimmer, remote control, premium acrylic backing).
Studio tips
Tips for sending the ideal photo
The better your starting photo, the more faithful the final result. Here are the four points our designers check on receipt, and that you can anticipate on your side. If you want to dig into the LED logic before ordering, read our guide on how to choose an LED neon sign.
High definition, 2000 px or more
A sharp, large-format photo lets our designer trace every detail finely. Avoid screenshots or photos compressed by messaging apps.
Strong light, no backlighting
Front or side lighting draws the outlines clearly. Backlighting flattens the volumes and makes the LED tube conversion harder.
A plain background, ideally
A light or neutral background isolates your subject well. If your background is busy, no panic, our team cuts it out manually before tracing.
A sharp subject, not blurry
A well-focused subject ensures a faithful result. If your photo is slightly blurry, our designer can attempt a reconstruction, but it extends the lead time.
Examples of neon signs made from a photo
More than 3,000 neon signs have left our workshop, a good share of them created from a client photo. Here is a glimpse of the most striking transformations. For the full picture, head over to our custom neon page.
Pet
Loulou the bulldog
A warm white 31 in (80 cm) neon for a kid's bedroom, after the family dog passed away.
Logo
Atelier Bobinette
A hand-sketched logo turned into a pink 1 m neon for the opening of a haberdashery in Lille.
Wedding
Audrey & Léo
The newlyweds' silhouette cut from an engagement photo, white neon, 1.2 m wide.
Couple
Sophie & Marc
A minimalist portrait traced from a couple photo, amber 28 in (70 cm) neon for their living room.
Pet
Mochi the ginger cat
A cat profile traced from a phone photo, orange 20 in (50 cm) neon for a studio apartment.
Price ranges
Helioneon photo neon pricing
Our price ranges include the 3D mock-up, handcrafted production, the mounting kit, US delivery and the 3-year warranty. To compare with our other made-to-order formats, check our Helioneon prices page.
Simple portrait
$235 to $350Clear face, plain background, 20 to 28 in (50 to 70 cm) size.
Detailed pet
$295 to $470Dog, cat, small pets, 24 to 35 in (60 to 90 cm) size.
Complex logo
$410 to $650Detailed multi-curve logo, 31 in (80 cm) to 1.2 m.
Complex scene
Custom quoteLandscape, multiple characters, formats beyond 1.5 m.
Frequently asked questions
Photo neon FAQ
For a faithful result, your photo should be at least 2000 pixels wide, roughly what any recent smartphone produces. If all you have is an old low-resolution picture, send it anyway: our designers can sometimes rebuild it, but the lead time is longer and the result depends on the original quality.
Yes, but the rendering naturally gets simplified. Beyond 3 people, we trace the silhouettes in a stylized way to keep the design readable. A family photo with 4 or 5 people can make a stunning neon, but do not expect a faithful portrait of every face. For these projects, we recommend a silhouette approach rather than a detailed portrait.
The standard lead time is 10 to 14 days between your mock-up approval and delivery, whatever the format or the complexity of the subject (portrait, pet, hand-drawn logo, landscape). If you have a hard deadline (wedding, birthday), tell us in your brief: we schedule production to meet your date, with no bad surprise.
Of course, and we strongly encourage it. You receive the 3D mock-up by email with the final colors, dimensions and lines. You can request up to 3 revisions free of charge: a color change, simplifying a detail, adjusting a line. Production only starts after your written approval. You stay in control of the final result.
Very often, yes, and it is actually one of our most requested formats. For a child, choose a photo with a clear smile and soft light. For a pet, a profile or a three-quarter view gives the best result. We handle these orders with special care, especially when it is a memorial piece. Feel free to let us know, we adapt the tracing to respect the emotion of the project.
Yes. Since production only starts after you approve the digital mock-up, the risk of a bad surprise is very low. On top of that, we offer a 3-year warranty covering manufacturing defects (LEDs, power supply, soldering). If your neon arrives damaged, we send a free replacement right away. For questions about image rights (photos of other people), see the official guidance on image rights (CNIL): we ask for a consent form for photos that are not yours.
Your photo, lit for life
Ready to turn your favorite memory into a luminous artwork?
Send your photo to our studio. Free digital mock-up within 24 hours, handcrafted production, delivered in 10 to 14 days, 3-year warranty. Now is the moment to give a gift that stays lit for a lifetime.
Free 3D mock-up
Reply within 24 hrs
No commitment